Erica

Erica - A very unique female name

Erica appeared on the charts for the first time in 1927 on position #1578. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Erica and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Erica? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Erica. The baby girl name Erica was given to 108 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1379 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 12,069 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Erica peaked in popularity 40 years ago in 1986 on position 31.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Erica, 1-5?

Erica is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Erica is currently topping the baby name charts in Oregon at position #576 - and is the least popular in Georgia at position #1,606.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Erica is where you live.

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Erica origin and meaning

Feminine of Eric (Old Norse); also a plant name

The feminine form of Eric — 'eternal ruler,' from Old Norse ei, ever, and ríkr, ruler; Erica is also the Latin name of the heather genus, a later association.

Erica was built as a female Eric in Scandinavia and became an American giant in the 1980s, peaking in 1986 at nearly 10,000 births. It has fallen for four decades and now reads as a period name.

Attested etymology

Erica is a 5 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Erica, pop culture references for the name Erica and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Erica

We've found the following names that sound similar to Erica, sorted by popularity.

Erika / Ericka / Eric / Eris / Erykah / Eryka / Eureka / Erick / Erik / Erikka /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Erica

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Erica a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Erica?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

EH-ri-kuh · /ˈɛrɪkə/

Around the world

• Erika (Scandinavian) — The k-spelling used across northern Europe.

Spellings and nicknames

• Erika — The major spelling variant.
• Ericka — Respelling with a c-k.

Famous bearers

• Erica Jong — Novelist, author of Fear of Flying (b. 1942) Contemporary

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Erica now mostly as an 80s honour or revival name — its peak generation is old enough to be honoured.

Worth knowing

• It reads firmly as a 1970s–80s name, and the Erika spelling split never goes away.